In the training of animals, particularly dogs, owner/handler/trainers, since the late 1960's, have employed various electronic techniques and technologies to encourage or discourage a dog's actions, whereby the dog learns proper behaviors that are desired in our society.
These electronic aides whether remote controlled by the user, manually controlled by sensor inputs, or automatically controlled by the dog's own actions have advanced throughout the years to become household-brand names gaining prominence in today's electronic world.
Different kinds of electronic cue signals have been employed using varying degrees or levels of audible sounds (tones/buzzers), vibration sensations, electrical impulse, and percussion sensations. With this knowledge gained through the years, focus has been on making these cue signals fit specific events while improving the dog's acceptance in learning its tasks more easily.
During this collective evolvement, manufacturers have offered dog owners the capability to select different levels of these cue signals from a hand-held transmitter to the animal's collar at a distance and from one to over one hundred different levels. From this vantage, what has been learned is that a single given level will not always be the appropriate level to use for a cue signal; but rather many levels are necessary dependent upon the individual animal's temperament and distraction level at any given moment (e.g., adrenal releases).
Thus, having the means to quickly adjust the level of the cue signal to match the dog's focus has become very important. Even a selector dial with many levels to select from may not be enough as the discrete levels achievable by the selector dial may not be the proper level to match the animal's adrenal release and distraction, and the proper level may instead exist in the non-selectable signal levels in-between the selectable discrete levels.
Therefore, a device is needed which provides proportional, gradual levels that can be quickly adjusted just as the volume control in one's car radio—fitting the individual's hearing quality while overcoming background noise levels. In this same manner, the device's output needs to finitely change to match the dog's adrenaline and background distractions at any given moment and at appropriate distances.